“I am prepared to die”, he said, in 1964

The man primarily associated with ending Apartheid, Nelson Mandela, turns 91 today. The long-term human rights activist, in possession of balls of steel that did not rust or tarnish with twenty-seven years in political imprisonment, took a five-year term in office at 75 as the oldest South African president. After retiring, he has spent the twilight years of his vibrant life working for the greater good of mankind through a number of charitable organizations and political movements.

Read about him at Wikipedia, and be sure to check out his prepared statement from the dock from April 20th, 1964, railing against the political hegemony that put him in jail, acting as judge, jury and executioner.

Above all, we want equal political rights, because without them our disabilities will be permanent. I know this sounds revolutionary to the whites in this country, because the majority of voters will be Africans. This makes the white man fear democracy.

But this fear cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the only solution which will guarantee racial harmony and freedom for all. It is not true that the enfranchisement of all will result in racial domination. Political division, based on colour, is entirely artificial and, when it disappears, so will the domination of one colour group by another.

There’s a good reason this man is a hero to many thinking folks who value democracy and humanist ideals. May his example shine on for many more years.

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“I am prepared to die”, he said, in 1964
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